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Cosmos - Carl Sagan [Full Screen Collector's Edition] [7 Discs] | ![Cosmos - Carl Sagan [Full Screen Collector's Edition] [7 Discs]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41D98HW4T8L._SL500_.jpg)
| Actor: Carl Sagan
Studio: Cosmos Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 149.99
Buy New: CDN$ 94.02
You Save: CDN$ 55.97 (37%)
New (7) Used (2) from CDN$ 94.02
Rating:  53 reviews
Sales Rank: 5976
Format: Box Set, Collector's Edition, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Chinese (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Japanese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Picture Format: Pan Scan
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 2
MPN: KCHDCOS1010D
UPC: 804387101097
EAN: 0804387101097
ASIN: B000055ZOB
Theatrical Release Date: September 28, 1980
Release Date: October 22, 2002
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
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| Editorial Reviews:
From Amazon.com
When ICosmos/I was first broadcast in 1980, our world--and the context of Carl Sagan's eloquent "personal journey"--was a different place. The late Dr. Sagan would be pleased to witness the cooling of the cold war, the continued exploration of space, and ongoing efforts to curb our destructive dependence on fossil fuels. For Sagan's series is far more than a guided tour through "billions and billions" of stars and galaxies. It remains a profound plea for the unity of humankind, for the recognition that "we are a way for the universe to know itself," with an obligation to know our origin, our place in the universe, and our future potential.p In the course of 13 fascinating hours, ICosmos/I spans its own galaxy of topics to serve Sagan's theme, each segment deepening our understanding of how we got from there (simple microbes in the primordial mud) to here (space-faring civilization in the 21st century). In his "ship of the imagination," Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry, from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets. Upon this vast canvas Sagan presents the "cosmic calendar," placing the 15-billion-year history of the universe into an accessible one-year framework, then filling it with a stunning chronology of events, both interstellar and earthbound.p From the lives of the stars, to creation theories, functions of the human brain, and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, ICosmos/I asks big questions. When appropriate, Sagan offers big answers, or asks still bigger--and yes, even spiritual--questions at the boundaries of science and religion. What's most remarkable about ICosmos/I is that it remains almost entirely fresh, with few updates needed to the science that Sagan so passionately celebrates. It is no exaggeration to say that ICosmos/I--for all the debate it may continue to provoke--is a vital document for humanity at a pivotal crossroads of our history. I--Jeff Shannon/I
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| Customer Reviews: Read 48 more reviews...
 "The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be" December 1, 2007
Stephen Pletko (London, Ontario, Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
XXXXX br / br /This landmark series narrated and co-written by astronomer, astrophysicist, professor, and author Dr. Carl Edward Sagan (Nov. 1934 to Dec. 1996) is the most watched series in public television history. br / br /Sagan takes us on "a personal voyage" through the cosmos (from the Greek meaning universe, harmony) in his "ship of the imagination." br / br /To me, this series is and was so popular for many reasons. One reason is the diversified scientific information (especially historical information) it presents. Along with this you have Sagan's narration with his deep, articulate, punctuating voice. As well, the background music (classical, electronic, and even some "Pink Floyd") is superb and all images (with some new footage) are mesmerizing. br / br /There are many things Sagan says that makes you think. For example, the words that title this review are the first words Sagan utters. Other personal favorite quotations include: br / br /(1) "The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and politics but it is not the path to knowledge. And there's no place for it in the endeavor of science." br /(2) "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." br /(3) "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." br /(4) "The Earth and every living thing are made of star stuff." br /(5) "You have to know the past to understand the present." br / br /There is no need to update this series. However, brief updates are provided for many episodes. Sagan narrates these updates that were recorded a decade after the original broadcast. br / br /To get an idea of the wide-range of topics covered, I will give the names of the chapters or scenes of each episode. Note that each episode begins with an "opening" and finishes with "end credits." (The exception is episode #1 that has an "Ann Druyan Introduction"-Druyan was Sagan's third and final wife as well as the co-writer of this series along with Steven Soter-before the opening.) br / br /Also, I will provide additional information in [square brackets] where I feel it is necessary to do so. br / br /Episode #1: br / br /(1) The Cosmos (2) Spaceship universe (3) Spaceship galaxy (4) Spaceship stars (5) Spaceship solar system br /(6) Planet Earth (7) Alexandrian library [great ancient library in the Egyptian city of Alexandria] (8) Ages of science (9) Cosmic calendar. br / br /Episode #2: br / br /(1) Spaceship cosmic matter (2) Heike crab [crabs with curious markings on their backs] (3) Artificial selection br /(4) Natural selection (5) Watchmaker (6) Cosmic calendar (7) Evolution (8) DNA (9) Miller-Urey experiment [experiment in 1950s where the stuff of life was made] (10) Alien life (11) Update br / br /Episode #3: br / br /(1) Astronomers vs Astrologers (2) Astrology (3) Laws of nature (4) Constellations (5) Astronomers br /(6) Ptolomy/Copernicus (7) [Johannes] Kepler (8) Kepler and Tycho Brahe (9) Kepler's laws [of planetary motion] (10) The Somnium [one of the first works of science fiction written by Kepler] br / br /Episode #4: br / br /(1) Heaven and Hell (2) Tunguska [a place in central Siberia] Event (3) Comets (4) Collisions with Earth (5) Planetary evolution (6) Venus [second planet from the sun] (7) Descent to Venus (8) Change (9) Death of worlds (10) Conclusion (11) Update br / br /Episode #5: br / br /(1) Martians (2) [Percival] Lowell (3) Edgar Rice Burroughs (4) [Robert] Goddard (5) Inhabited Planets (6) Mars (7) Viking Lander [probe that landed on Mars in 1976] (8) Life on Mars? (9) Mars' rover [a roving vehicle] (10) Terraforming [changing an alien landscape for one suitable for humans] Mars (11) Update br / br /Episode #6: br / br /(1) Voyager, JPL [respectively, spacecraft that surveyed our solar system eventually became interstellar and Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA (2) Traveler's routes (3) Dutch renaissance (4) [Christiaan] Huygens (5) Huygens-conclusion (6) Traveler's tales (7) Jovian [or Jupiter, fifth planet from the sun] system (8) Europa and Io [two moons of Jupiter] (9) Voyager ship's log (10) Saturn and Titan [respectively, sixth planet from the sun and its largest moon] (11) Update br / br /Episode #7: br / br /(1) What are the stars? (2) Brooklyn schoolroom [Sagan was born in Brooklyn] (3) Mythology of the stars (4) Ancient Greek scientists (5) Science blossoms (6) Democritus [lived 430 BC] (7) Pythagoras [lived in the sixth century BC] (8) Plato and others (9) Distance to the stars (10) Evidence of other planets [beyond the solar system] br / br /Episode #8: br / br /(1) Constellations (2) Time and space (3) [Einstein's] Relativity(4) Leonardo da Vinci (5) Interstellar Travel (6) Time travel (7) Solar systems (8) Cosmic time frame (9) Dinosaurs (10) Immensity of Space (11) Update br / br /Episode #9: br / br /(1) Apple pie (2) The very large (3) Atoms (4) Chemical elements (5) Nuclear forces (6) The stars and our sun (7) Death of stars (8) Star stuff (9) Gravity in Wonderland (10) Children of the stars (11) Update br / br /Episode #10: br / br /(1) Big Bang [leading theory for the origin of the universe] (2) Galaxies (3) Astronomical anomalies (4) Doppler Effect [important effect of sound and light waves] (5) [Milton] Humason (6) Dimensions (7) The universe (8) India br /(9) Oscillating universe (10) VLA [very large array of radio telescopes] (11) Update br / br /Episode #11: br / br /(1) Intelligence (2) Whales (3) Genes and DNA (4) The Brain (5) The City (6) Libraries (7) Books (8) Computers (9) Other brains (10) Voyager br / br /Episode #12: br / br /(1) Close Encounters (2) Refutations (3) UFOs (4) [Jean Franscois] Champollion's Egypt (5) Hieroglyphics (6) Rosetta Stone (7) SETI [Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence] (8) Arecibo [Radio/Radar Observatory located in Puerto Rico] (9) Drake Equation [equation formulated by Frank Drake for estimating the number of advanced technical civilizations in the Galaxy] and contact (10) Encyclopedia Galactica (11) Update br / br /Episode #13: (my personal favorite) br / br /(1) Tlingit and Aztec Indians (2) Who speaks for Earth? (3) Nuclear war and balance of terror (4) Alexandrian library (5) Hypatia [the last scientist who worked in the Alexandrian Library] (6) Big Bang and the stuff of life (7) Evolution of life (8) Star stuff (9) What humans have done (10) Who speaks for Earth? (11) Update br / br /The DVDs are practically perfect in picture and sound quality. All the DVDs are remastered, restored, and enhanced. br / br /Finally, there is a book titled "Cosmos" (1980). Sagan elaborates in this book: "The book and the television series evolved together. In some sense each is based on the other...[the] book goes more deeply into many topics than does the television series...each episode of the television series follows fairly closely the corresponding chapter of [the] book; and...the pleasure of each will be enhanced by reference to the other." br / br /In conclusion, if you want to learn something and be entertained at the same time, then you must see this landmark series!!! br / br /(First broadcast on PBS in 1980; updates recorded 1990; 13 one hour episodes; full screen; 7 discs) br / br /Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada br / br /XXXXX br /
the best science documentrary July 20, 2004
Fred Strelzoff (denver, colorado)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is prehaps the most inspiring documentary about the earth and our place within the universe. I have seen the series about a dozen times and its just as interesting each and every time. This would be great material for children learning about the world around them..p+Fred
A Vision for All Mankind July 12, 2004
MedStudent (Baltimore)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
After watching COSMOS for the third time, I am continously impressed by the bravery and insight of Dr. Sagan's vision for humanity. COSMOS's overarching theme is an introduction to the natural sciences for the general public. Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics are wonderfully reduced to their core concepts. Dr. Sagan may be the only person I know who manages to explain Einstein's special relativity without algebra. For those amongst the general public who wish to understand just what a four dimensioned universe is, there is no better series today than COSMOS. Dr. Sagan stays true to his populist belief that science belongs not only to the scientists, but to all humanity.pHowever, anyone with a university degree will probably be familiar with the science Dr. Sagan speaks of. The shining jewel of COSMOS is not its scientific content, but its deeply humanistic message of hope. We have all heard about the cruelty of the so called real world and human nature. But Dr. Sagan shows us that human bravery and intelligence has transformed our world for the better and that our world is what we make of it. In one of the most poignant moments of the entire series, Dr. Sagan describes the human longing for an explanation of the universe as an eternal part of our species. We, citizens of the 21st century, are the first generation of human beings priviledged with some of the answers to the questions that have fascinated our ancestors. pDr. Sagan also outlines the philosophy and history of science. This is especially essential to today's society in which science has become increasing gadgety. While cell phones, computers, the internet, designer drugs populate every segment of our society, the philosophy of critical thinking, factual analysis and of questioning every statement, the very heart of science remains as rare today as ever. Our present civlization is forever indebited to those brave men and women who choose the pain of truth rather the comfort of lies. For those who ever wondered how we human beings progressed from tribal hunters to technogical beings, Dr. Sagan's documentary provides a riveting account. pFinally and perhaps most importantly, Dr. Sagan's documentary provides a unifying vision for the future of human kind. We have reached a time in the development of our species when the power in our hands is extraordinary. The destiny of our world and our species is fully in the our own hands. We can either use this power to continously squabble amongst ourselves, to fight our pointless wars and to poison our environment with blatant waste and race headlong to self annihilation, or... we can set aside our differences, recognize the fragility of our world and embrace the common destiny of humanity to explore the final frontier. Dr. Sagan does not pretend that this journey will be an easy one; every age and time has had those who would at the expense of our world, stirr up hatred, fear and greed. However, by showing that science is our candle in the dark, Dr. Sagan encourages each one of us to struggle against the irrationality and ignorance inside each of us to literally reach for the stars. pFrom the beginning of time to the future of our world, Dr. Sagan's account of the struggle of the human mind to attain sentience is highly passionate while at the same time even and objective. Science, he describes, is the ultimate manifestation of our humanity, the quest of starstuff to understand itself.pI am pleased to say that as the light from Dr. Sagan's house continue to pierce the darkness of Ithaca's gorges to inspire me, so too does his visionary work: COSMOS.
Very Excellent! June 20, 2004
Sea Wasp (Hooterville, Australia)
1 out of 16 found this review helpful
A little expensive but very cool. Carl Sagan was the first man to break the sound barrier and this is his story. Carl also was a swimming contender in the 1968 Mexico Olympics but he felt the sting of defeat and didn't win diddley. We don't like losers, Carl. A famous scientist, Carl died of cancer some years ago because he didn't eat his broccoli. If only he's gone to Denny's every Thursday for their cream of broccoli soup, he would still be alive today.
 Portuguese Subtitles ?? May 29, 2004
Marcio Delgado (Juiz de Fora, Brazil)
1 out of 11 found this review helpful
More than 250.000.000 people in the world speak Portuguese. Why didn't they made subtitles in portuguese language for Cosmos? I hope that in the next edition, this problema will be solved. How can we show this DVD for children and teens who doesn't speak english yet? This is my only complain about.
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